The Most Effective Way to Learn a Foreign Language

International Volunteers through CrossContinental.org Recently Shared Their Secrets for Learning a New Language Based On Their Firsthand Experience Abroad.

Countless people struggle when trying to learn a foreign language. Many fail to acquire conversational proficiency even after years of classes. College students often spend a great deal of time and tuition to meet the language requirements for their degrees. Fortunately, there is a better way to learn a new language that takes students out of the classroom as recent volunteers through CrossContinental.org can attest.

In the attached video (http://youtu.be/_9q_nOfcCg0), 18-year-old Claire Lingham from Boston USA shares how her volunteer abroad experience contributed greatly to her success when learning Mandarin Chinese. After spending only 4 months in China, Claire’s Chinese language skills went from only knowing how to name a few colors to having full conversations with locals without resorting to English.

Claire found the program online when she was researching gap year programs. She wanted to volunteer in rural China in order to fully immerse herself in Chinese culture and experience traditional Chinese festivals. Her primary goal during her 4 month program was to learn Chinese and she was amazed by the progress she made while living in China.

“It has been really amazing teaching English here and I’ve learned so much Chinese,” Claire exclaims. “My Chinese has gone from basic color words to actually having conversations with [my host family’s] mother who doesn’t speak any English. So, I think that is pretty good.”

The host family contributed greatly to her rapid language acquisition, and the immersive cultural experience was just the icing on the cake. Claire states, “I’ve had an incredible time here teaching the kids and learning Chinese. My host family has been really like a family to me. Living here in China, rural China, where there are no other foreigners, and where people are so welcoming and so heart-warming, has been amazing.”

Such linguistic success is mirrored by many other volunteers who have traveled to Latin America to enhance their Spanish. Working and living side by side with locals seems to be a far more effective means for learning a language than one’s typical language class experience. International volunteers not only get to fine-tune a second language, but also gain intercultural experience and valuable volunteer hours as well.

About Cross-Continental Solutions

Cross-Continental Solutions provides unique yet affordable volunteer abroad, intern abroad, cultural immersion, language study, and gap year programs. A large variety of work placement options are available such as: Teaching, Healthcare, Community Development, Business Coaching, HIV work, Care-giving, Orphanage Work, Journalism, Photography, Wildlife Conservation, Agriculture, Environmental Protection, Microfinance, Tourism, Marketing, and more. Programs are available at many locations around the world, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. By living and working side by side with locals, participants gain an exceptional cross-cultural experience and the opportunity to make a difference.